There are times in our life when we forget things. People look at you and say stuff like, remember in high school when you wore that dress and everyone kept hitting on you all night? And you give them that weird look and say, you want me to remember what happened twenty years ago when I can't remember what happened yesterday? Sound familiar....
Well, I don't think that applies to 9/11.
I think most of us tend to overlook the good stuff and focus more on the tragedies. We can't help it. That's what makes celebrities and what I call "non reality television shows" so popular today. Social media such as Facebook and Twitter doesn't help. When something catastrophic happens, it gets plastered all over these sites. You suddenly see thousands of images. Images you would have never seen if it wasn't for some random persons cell phone taking the pictures. Is this a good or bad thing? Well, I think that is up to the individual looking at the footage.
I guess the point I'm trying to make is that tragic events such as 9/11 will forever be burned into our minds. We won't forget becasue for those of us who saw those images, who cried with the families who lost their loved ones, and for those who sat there and watched those horrific scenes unfolding on TV they've left an everlasting impression.
I didn't know anyone who died in the Twin Towers. I've never been to New York and I hate to admit it but until that day I didn't really know what the Twin Towers were. I remember being asleep and my mother calling me to tell me a plane flew through a building. Honestly, I thought she had dreamt the whole thing and told her to go back to sleep becasue I didn't think that wasn't possible in this day and age. To placate her, I got up and turned on the television and what I saw made me wish I could go back to sleep and forget it all.
I don't know about you but I sat there on the couch in a state of confusion. We didn't have Twitter or the instant news that we have now and there wasn't much information other than the news replaying the first plane flying into a building. I was trying to wrap my head around some pilot making that type of error. I had to admit my mother was right (that's hard for me :-) ). But then to my horror, I saw the second plane fly into the other Tower and I instantly knew we were at war.
On days like today when people are holding vigil's all over the country, I'm remembering the scene's of people jumping to their deaths. I can clearly see the buildings engulfed in flames and our brave first responders running into those buildings to save as many people as they could. But what I remember most, was seeing that first building collapse. To know that everyone inside had suddenly perished in the smoke and ash and intense heat. I remember the screams from those on the streets as the building turned to rubble. I can still recall the shocked looks on people's faces as the cameraman surveyed the horrific scene. I can remember feeling numb. I wished I had my family there with me becasue I was experiencing this horror alone. I remember being angry. I had wanted to hit something. To make the people who did this hurt as much as they had hurt these people.
I think on days like today, we need to reflect on the good in our lives. Yes, we need to remember the tragedies to keep the people who lost their lives alive in our hearts and minds. But I think to heal, we should concentrate on the good in our own lives. To hug the ones we love. To tell the people closest to us how much they mean to us.
I know I will never forget the tragedies of 9/11. Seeing that kind of loss on such a large magnitude has helped me to see how short life can be and reminds me to treasure the time we have left and to spend it with the ones we love most.
To all those that lost loved ones, my heart and prayers go out to you. I promise I will never forget.
God Bless
